The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its May 20, 2011 meeting, considered your request for an advisory opinion concerning whether you may be employed with British Petroleum (BP) as a Parish Liaison on issues associated with Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Techniques (SCAT). You state that your duties would include assisting BP in the drafting of the 2011 SCAT Plans for Louisiana and the eastern states, assisting in the development of a Louisiana Shoreline Contacts List, assisting in the development and delivery of outreach programs to parishes, reviewing documents as they relate to the oil spill response, and attending SCAT field inspections. You state that you were employed with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a coastal scientist/forester for the Atchafalaya Basin Program and that you were sent by DNR as a first responder on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, where you assisted in the review of SCAT procedures.

The Board concluded, and instructed me to inform you, that the Code of Governmental Ethics does not prohibit you from being employed with BP to assist parishes as detailed above. Section 1121B prohibits a former public employee, for a period of two years following the termination of his public service, from assisting another person, for compensation, in a transaction, or in an appearance in connection with a transaction in which such former public employee participated at any time during his public employment and involving the governmental entity by which he was formerly employed. You will be assisting BP with processes and procedures involving parishes and will not be assisting BP with transactions involving DNR. Therefore, your employment with BP is not prohibited as long as you do not assist BP with transactions involving your former governmental entity in which you participated.

This advisory opinion is based solely on the facts as set forth herein. Changes to the facts as presented may result in a different application of the provisions of the Code of Ethics. The Board issues no opinion as to past conduct or laws other than the Code of Governmental Ethics. If you have any questions, please contact me at (225) 219-5600 or (800) 842-6630.